Parking your plane, you count the bullet holes in the side of your new La-5. Just three but you feel confident knowing you smashed the Luftwaffe air force. Pyonia, the short and rotund field crew sergeant, finishes putting the chalks on your wheels and walks over to you, putting his short stubby fingers into the holes.
"Close one eh Comrade?" Pyonia asks.
"Not really, cross fire from our engagement" you boast.
"How many for you today?" he quizzes.
"Three - two fighters, I think G2's and a Ju-88."
"Excellent. I'll have Sergy paint the stars on your craft." Pyonia waddles off, shouting for Sergy to get his paint can and the stencil, and for him to bring in sheet metal to fix the holes.
The price for today’s battle was high. Leningrad is in German hands, and that means this airfield will soon be under artillery fire within hours. You will have to move further east.
Loza is outside the command center door as you walk up to give your briefing. His slumped shoulders indicating his frustration and embarrassment for failing to show up to fight the Tigers is obvious. The access bridge for his entire division was destroyed hours before the battle - the German spies had smashed his only entrance into Leningrad to defend the sacred city.
"Hello Dmitriy."
"Colonel" replies Loza, his face ashen.
"Next week, there will be no destroyed bridges. Comrade Loza, you will have at those Germans next week and push them back to Helsinki." you reply.
"Hmph. I should have known that might have happened Comrade. Those Germans can be sneaky, and that is evident. I heard you had a glorious battle though - you destroyed the Luftwaffe attack. It makes your victory seem bitter sweet."
Following you inside the command tent, Loza calls over his assistant to get him other pack cigarettes. Kerushev and Kozhedub are talking about the bridge, how if the German spies had not destroyed it the falling of Leningrad would have been different.
Kozhedub's squadron has eleven kills, himself two. He sees you approaching the war table and shouts "Colonel - I heard you had, what our American friends called, a hat-trick, no?"
Blushing, you touch your hat and salute your friend, "yes Kozhedub, but I heard you scored your victories with an eye closed and a foot out the cockpit."
Laughing, he comes over and shakes your hand. “Yes” he whispers, “one eye closed, a foot out the door, but with my good eye, not the bad one. We may have a special mission from Kerushev. I’ll keep you apprised.”
Kerushev motions you all to the table. His baritone voice drowns out the background noise as he begins…
"Gentlemen, Stalin has send me a message asking when are we going to get Leningrad back. He also gave me ten NEW T-34/85 tanks to counter the Tiger's. Your orders are...""
